apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Inspiration: Maira Kalman's 3D Library Murals

31909kalman1.jpgWe're pretty much in love with everything Maira Kalman does. Her illustrated Elements of Style is and will remain our favorite coffee table book of all time. Now she's blown us away again with this mural for the Library Initiative, a Robin Hood Foundation project that built new libraries in schools. Artists contributed murals to each library; Kalman's mural depicts each letter of the alphabet with a display of artifacts. It's an amazing artwork, sure to inspire young readers. It inspires us to think about how we might create a 3-dimensional mural at home...

 
 

31909kalman2.jpg

In a kids' room or family room, a mural like Kalman's, comprised of found objects mixed with paintings and drawings, could be an amazing wall treatment (if a bit of a nightmare to dust). We love her choice of a black background, which really makes the objects stand out. She also brilliantly mixes large objects with small, creating texture. Choosing a theme, like a single letter (your child's first initial?), and grouping the objects around that theme would help unify the overall effect.

Of course, the key would likely be to curate your objects well and plot the layout carefully. Kalman makes brilliant use of negative space in her mural, so that the wall doesn't feel too busy or cluttered.

You can read more about the Library Initiative here. And of course, see more of the marvelous Maira Kalman's work on her site.

Photos: Pentagram

Tags

inspiration, artwork, murals, wall treatments, Maira Kalman

Related Links

Share

Comments (3)

Maira Kalman's work has always been amazing. Max Stravinski is the best fictional dog I know of. We heard her speak in a small shop in Alameda, and we brought all the books the now grown kids had and she signed them all. She is just the bee's knees! Love her New Yorker covers, especially New Yorkistan!

posted by Usbek de Perse on March 19th 2009 at 1:12pm
view Usbek de Perse's profile

Oh. How do I love this? Let me count the ways...

posted by rosenatti on March 19th 2009 at 3:07pm
view rosenatti's profile

Love the chalkboard-y effect of the black wall behind - Maira Kalman is great!

posted by mmepatty on March 19th 2009 at 5:02pm
view mmepatty's profile